The New Castle County Division of Police sadly announces the passing of Spartan, one of our Mounted Unit horses.

Spartan, a Clydesdale, was born in January 2008 in Listowel, Ontario, Canada, and joined the New Castle County Police Mounted Unit in 2015. Throughout his career, Spartan proudly served alongside several Mounted Unit officers and quickly became a familiar and beloved presence throughout New Castle County.

In 2017, Spartan and his partner, M/Cpl. Richard Shugart, competed in the North American Police Equestrian Council training and competition held at the Devon Horse Show Complex. The pair proudly earned first place in the uniform competition, reflecting the hard work, training, and trust they shared.

For more than a decade, Spartan served our community, taking part in countless parades, community events, and special details. He stood out wherever he went, but his gentle personality and the way he connected with people made him so special.

Earlier this week, a lump was discovered on Spartan, and he was taken to a veterinarian for evaluation. Testing confirmed that he was suffering from an untreatable form of cancer. To prevent further suffering, a difficult decision was made to let Spartan go peacefully. He passed away on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the age of 18, surrounded by staff from Carousel Park and officers from the Mounted Unit who had the privilege of working with him over the past decade.

Spartan served our community with honor, and his legacy will live on through the countless memories he helped create and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

(Newark, DE 19713) In July 2026, detectives from the New Castle County Division of Police Drug and Human Trafficking Investigation Team were contacted by detectives from the Pennsylvania State Police regarding an ongoing drug investigation.

As part of the joint investigation, detectives identified 40-year-old Amin Alim, of Newark, as a suspect involved in the distribution of suspected heroin and fentanyl in Delaware and surrounding areas of Pennsylvania.

On Thursday, September 3, 2026, detectives executed a search warrant at Alim’s residence in the Liberty Square Apartments on Winchester Road. Alim was located inside the residence and taken into custody without incident.

During the execution of the search warrant, detectives seized more than 85 grams of crack cocaine, more than 29 grams of raw fentanyl, 35 bags of packaged fentanyl, and a 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number. Detectives also recovered multiple magazines, ammunition, and other items indicative of drug distribution, as well as more than $7,000 in suspected drug proceeds.

Alim was transported to New Castle County Police Headquarters, where he was charged with:

• Two felony counts of Possession with the Intent to Deliver, Tier 3 Quantity
• One felony count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
• One felony count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
• One felony count of Possession of a Weapon with an Obliterated Serial Number
• One misdemeanor count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Amin Alim was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution after failing to post $170,001 cash bail.

Amin Alim – 40

The New Castle County Division of Police is applying for funding from the Office of Violence Against Women; FY 2026 Local Law Enforcement Grants for Enforcement of Cybercrimes Program.

This grant will be utilized to support a broad range of activities to include cybercrime prevention and investigation and improve the response to victims of cybercrime. 

The New Castle County Police is seeking public comment on its application for funding.

Please e-mail your comments to allie.reynolds@newcastlede.gov